(Nanowerk News) nanoTox, the first company to provide complete risk analysis and profiling exclusively for nanoparticles, announced today that C. Richard Piazza has joined the board of directors of its parent company Nano Risk Assessment, Inc. Mr. Piazza is founder and CEO of private equity firm La Jolla Capital Partners, LLC and an established leader in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

"We look forward to gaining from Mr. Piazza’s vast knowledge," said Harry Bushong, president of nanoTox. "With his decades of experience leading prominent biotech and pharmaceutical companies to profitability, Mr. Piazza’s insights and direction will be instrumental in assuring the success of nanoTox."

Mr. Piazza’s extensive experience includes 37 years in healthcare, 16 years in pharmaceuticals and biotech and 21 years in regulated medical devices. Thirty-two years of his career were spent as CEO and in general management for both public and private companies directing turnarounds, takeovers and complex strategies to increase revenues, profitability and market share.

Mr. Piazza formed La Jolla Capital Partners, LLC (LCP) in 2004 to help biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device companies secure venture capital funding, helping companies and VCs navigate critical early development stages. During his tenure with LCP, Mr. Piazza also served as interim Chairman & CEO for biotechnology drug company Chemokine Therapeutics during a key management transition period, preparing the company for its Phase II trials.

Mr. Piazza also was president of Biolectron, Inc., an internationally renowned private high-tech orthopedic research and manufacturing company; president and CEO of Radius Health System Services & Supplies, a $150 million, multi-division business providing comprehensive healthcare services; president of private startup Stimetics; and CEO of Smith & Nephew Pharmaceuticals and VitaGen, the developer of the world’s first bioartificial liver.

In addition to nanoTox, Mr. Piazza serves on the boards of BioHouston, LipoNova, Zetiq Technologies (Director), GynTec (Chairman), Nexus Health Systems and Traumatec. He is an advisor to the MD Anderson Cancer Center Department of Technology Transfer.

Mr. Piazza attended the State University of New York, where he received undergraduate degrees in Business Administration, Economics and Speech Pathology and his Masters Degree in Economics.

About nanoTox®

Located in Austin, Texas, nanoTox is the first company to provide complete risk assessment – and solutions – exclusively for nanoparticles. nanoTox determines the toxicity of its clients’ nanoproducts and offers strategies for managing, reducing or eliminating risk to meet state and federal safety guidelines and shorten time to market. Because nanoTox uses methodologies that are performed under recognized international data quality standards (GLP, ISO, etc.) in its laboratories, the results and associated assessments are suitable for use to support regulatory decisions, product registrations, litigation and for acceptance by the insurance industry.

nanoTox ensures complete client confidentiality for all of its clients, which include companies or entities that require government approval to market their nanoproducts, venture capital firms that invest in nanoproduct companies, law firms engaged by such companies and insurance companies considering insuring such companies from liability.